As season's end looms, Blackhawks fall to Sharks 4-3 in shootout

While the rest of Chicago focuses on the Final Four, the Blackhawks are counting down the final five — as in their final five games of the season — after a 4-3 shootout loss to the Sharks at the United Center Monday night.

Their schedule was typically back-loaded with matchups against division rivals, two each against the Blues and Jets and one against the Avalanche, but for the last-place Hawks those games are now just dates to cross off the calendar. This difficult and disappointing season will come to an end April 7 in Winnipeg, and the playoffs will proceed without the Hawks’ participation for the first time since 2008.

These last two weeks are about evaluating young players such as Victor Ejdsell, the latest Blackhawk to make his NHL debut this season. Ejdsell was one of five first-year players in the Hawks lineup against the Sharks, along with Alex DeBrincat, Jan Rutta, David Kampf and Matthew Highmore.

Ejdsell was noticeable early in Monday’s game, and not just because he’s half a foot taller than Patrick Kane, his linemate for the night. Ejdsell had a couple of scoring chances in the first period and managed to stay reasonably close to his man on defense, even when that man was crafty Sharks center Joe Pavelski. Nevertheless, Ejdsell was on the ice for all three Sharks goals in regulation.

Admittedly, things have been moving pretty fast for Ejdsell. Some of those fast things were wearing Sharks sweaters Monday night.

“I was in Sweden like five days ago,” Ejdsell said after the game. “So it has been real fast. I think I can do better, especially in the defensive zone.”

“On the stat sheet, it doesn’t look so hot,” he said. “But I didn’t mind him at all. I thought he had a lot of nice plays, good vision, good anticipation, a lot of direct plays, knew where people were around the ice. ... For a big guy, he knew where to go and I think he was comfortable with the puck. That was good to see right off the bat.”

Marcus Sorenson gave the Sharks the lead halfway through the first period, but the Hawks erased it with goals from DeBrincat and Connor Murphy. DeBrincat’s tally was his 26th of the season, tying him with Kane for the team lead.

Late in the second period, Evander Kane broke through the neutral zone and tied the game 2-2 with a shot that Hawks goalie Anton Forsberg seemed to have stopped before it slipped through his pads and into the net behind him.

Tomas Hertl scored with 4 minutes, 19 seconds left in the third period to put the Sharks ahead. The play started when Murphy chose to play the man instead of the puck and took out Barclay Goodrow with a big hit along the boards. But then Murphy also inadvertently took out his fellow defenseman Erik Gustafsson.

“What happened there was I went to hit (Goodrow) but my stick went up and caught Gus in the face,” Murphy said.

The play cost Gustafsson a step and allowed Hertl to break loose with the puck for what appeared to be a game-breaking goal.

“I could have done a better job keeping the puck from getting by me,” Murphy said.

Two minutes later, the score was even again when Patrick Sharp bagged his 10th goal of the season. After the teams swapped high-drama scoring chances in overtime, the game went to a shootout and Kevin Labanc won it for the Sharks in Round 4.

The Sharks, who began the night in second place in the Pacific Division, six points behind the Golden Knights, now have won eight straight. They will continue to battle for playoff position in the season’s final weeks. The Hawks will continue to count down the days.

jknowles@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @jknowles31

Joe Knowles’ three stars

1. Connor Murphy, Hawks: Scored his 2nd goal of the season on his 25th birthday.

2. Evander Kane, Sharks: Used his killer speed to great advantage on game-tying goal.